Project title: Arctic Conference on Educational Sciences (ACCESS) led by the University of Lapland.

Project partners: UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Nord University, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Sámi University of Applied Sciences, University of Manitoba, University of Alaska Anchorage, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Mongolian National University of Education, Leeds Beckett University, University of Faroe Islands, University of Greenland, University of Akureyri, University of Iceland, Murmansk Arctic State University, Umeå University, Northern (Arctic) Federal University, Luleå University, University of Aberdeen, University of Prince Edward Island and Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius.

The overall goal of the project is to strengthen the wide network of educational researchers in the circumpolar north, and to concentrate researcher community perspectives on UArctic, the Thematic Network on Teacher Education and Arctic educational issues. This will be implemented by organizing an Arctic conference on educational sciences and publishing series of video interviews, as the main activities of the project. The project milestones include 1) setting up a local organization committee and scientific board, 2) publishing the conference website and call for abstracts, 3) the conference event and 4) publishing the video interviews. The project has three key target audiences – network contact persons, network member universities and Arctic educational science community – who will benefit of the stronger connections, platforms of sharing knowledge, and engagement to UArctic and the Thematic Network on Teacher Education

Project title: Herbivory Network Meeting (newly established Thematic Network on Herbivory - 2020) lead by UIT The Arctic University of Norway.

Project partners: Agricultural University of Iceland, Lund University, University of Helsinki, University of Oulu, Umeå University and Boise State University (US).

Herbivory is a key ecological process modifying arctic ecosystems response to climate change, and herbivores are extremely important for the livelihoods of many northern communities. The UArctic Thematic Network on Herbivory (http://herbivory.lbhi.is) is an international collaborative initiative that brings together researchers to investigate the role of herbivory in Arctic and alpine ecosystems worldwide. The Herbivory Network meeting in 2021 in Tromsø, Norway, will define new initiatives, finalize existing projects and foster cohesion in the group that consists of researchers from different countries and different career stages. During the meeting, we will also present first results of collaborative field experiment pilot studies and expand the scope of these studies by involving more field sites.

Project title: Establishment of UArctic Thematic Network Blue Economy and the Arctic (TN Blue Economy) led by Nord University. 

Project partners: Copenhagen Business School, Institute of the North, Korea Maritime Institute, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Murmans State Technical University, Northern (Arctic) Federal University, University of Alaska Fairbanks, University Centre of the Westfjords, The Arctic Institute, ANCHORS, Arctic Economic Council, CBE, ENCU, Innovation Norway and RANEPA.

The Thematic Network on the Blue Economy and the Arctic (TN BlueArctic) aims to uncover the conceptual and practical application of the ‘blue economy’, in particular its regional sidekick: the circumpolar ‘blue economy’. Thus, the Thematic Network provides impetus to global blue economy discussions and related efforts to develop the blue economy as a novel concept for the sustainable governance and management of the world’s oceans. As such, the Thematic Network aims to provide for a better understanding of what the Arctic blue economy actually is, and how the blue Arctic could serve as a potential blueprint for the sustainable development of our global oceans. To promote the Thematic Network outside the Arctic region, it intends to include an international group of researchers in the broad field of ocean economy to contribute to the development of the Thematic Network. In the long run, the Thematic Network BlueArctic is to develop, promote and disseminate knowledge on both the conceptual and practical application of the blue economy in the circumpolar north.

Project title: One Health in Northern Communities and Ecosystems led by UIT The Arctic University of Norway.

Project partners: University of the Faroe Islands, University of Calgary, University of Alaska Fairbanks, University of Oulu, INN and USN.

The Circumpolar North is severely challenged by climate change and other threats to the lives and livelihood of their human and nonhuman inhabitants. One Health (OH) is a transdisciplinary approach to improved health, recognizing the interconnection between humans, animals, plants, and their environment. In this project, we aim to create an online based OH in Northern Communities and Ecosystems Master course (15 ECTS). Online teaching will be supported by physical gatherings of students and staff. At the same time, we will develop a student network that may become a crucial platform for developing their professional careers. Such a network will also help building relationships with peers, thus improving our research capacity and ability to create funding opportunities to promote health in Northern communities in a long perspective. This OH course and student network will be linked to other initiatives and expanded to other institutions that are not directly involved in this application.

Project title: School of Arctic Dialogue at Calotte Academy led by the University of Lapland.

Project partners: UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Luzin Institute for Economic Studies of Russian Academy of Sciences at Kola Science Center, Sami Education Institute, International Sámi Film Institute, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Arctic Space Centre, Sør-Varanger Utvikling and Finnmark Hospital

The School of Arctic Dialogue will be transdisciplinary and build dialogue across Social Sciences, Humanities, Natural Sciences, Technology; academia, civil society, indigenous peoples, government, business; across borders (Finnish/Norwegian/Russian/Sapmi). It will educate Master students, PhD candidates and post-docs (early-career scientists) to analyze early-21st century Arctic as a geographical region within global cultural, environmental, social and technological systems. 2021 sessions, as part of Calotte Academy taking place November 15-21 (pandemic allowing), in Rovaniemi, Enontekiö and Inari, Finland (and Sapmi), and in Kautokeino and Kirkenes, Norway (and Sapmi). Russia is not feasible in 2021. 2022 sessions as part of the Calotte Academy, planned for June in Finland, Norway and Northwest Russia. There will be an open, international call for MA students, PhD candidates and post-docs. The School draws on the Calotte Academy, an annual travelling symposium in the European Arctic.

Project title: Students Barents Rescue: Enhanced Education Capabilities Through Cooperation (SBR) led by Nord University.

Project partners: UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Northern (Arctic) Federal University, Laurea University of Applied Sciences and Mid Sweden University.

The project’s goal is: To strengthen collaboration for high-quality education within emergency preparedness and response in the Arctic region through joint international crisis management exercise for students using flexible collaborative learning approaches. We will further develop and run the joint Student Barents Rescue Exercise in cooperation between UIT, Nord University (both Norway), Northern Arctic Federal University (Russia), and expand this network including Laurea University of Applied Sciences (Finland) and Mid Sweden University (Sweden). Such joint education activity is of relevance at bachelor’s, master’s and PHD level programs. The main target group includes universities, running study programs within emergency preparedness, prevention and response and students at such programs. Additional important focus group includes governmental agencies, volunteer groups and local community representatives, working with emergency prevention, preparedness, and response in the Arctic.

UArctic wishes success to the projects and looks forward to hearing more when their work has kicked off!